Vintage Burlap Barn: Road Trip!

Hi Friends,

Summer vacations can be so much fun, but lets be honest road trips with our kids can be a little daunting and overwhelming at times! I just returned from a 4,000 mile road trip with my family and I'm happy to report the children are all alive and my husband and I kept our sanity! Miracle of Miracles, but it can be done with a little bit of planning and prep work. Here are 7 tips for surviving road trips with the family.

1. Stock the Car: Baby Wipes, Napkins, Hand Sanitizer, Plastic Trash bags (which can also serve as barf bags if need arises!) Tissues, and a First Aid Kit are staples you should keep in the car.

2. Snacks: If you are expecting your kids to be well behaved for hours in the car, don't load them up with soda and sweets, they will be bouncing off the walls of the car and you will be losing your mind! Some easy snacks are fruits, veggies, muffins, applesauce, crackers, granola bars, cereal bars, dried fruits, and nuts are just a few ideas. If you have space bring a small ice chest for string cheese, yogurt, and lunch meat. A loaf of bread, peanut butter, and jelly are simple and will keep the kids happy and full in the car too.

3. Bathroom Breaks: NO MATTER WHAT everyone uses the restroom every time we stop. Enough said, you’ll thank me later!

4. Audio Books: Our favorite activity while on trip is listening to audio books. If you have younger children there are numerous audio picture book for your children to look through and listen at the same time. The library is a great place to find audio books. We love Lamplighters Theater for captivating and character building audio books that will keep children riveted for hours! Another great audio to listen to is the Bible. Most Bible apps on smart phones have an option to listen to scripture being read. Some of my favorite conversations while on a road trip came while listening to scripture.

5. Music: A fresh batch of music can always make a road trip more enjoyable. I especially love Seeds Family Worship CD's while driving in the car. Seeds songs are straight scripture, which means your children are memorizing God's Word while learning some fun songs! It's a great use of time while in the car!

6. Activities: Coloring books, Look and Find books, and word searches can all be great activities for the car. Before leaving take a trip to your local dollar store and grab some fun new activities to take on the road. Don’t give your children everything at once, give them just one activity at a time; it will keep them excited about what surprise you are going to pull out next and will keep them engaged. I print car bingo sheets (these are FREE on the internet) and a blank USA map for marking state license plates. These keep the kids entertained throughout the road trips and are educational -practicing geography, states and capitals. Simple crafts like bracelets or crocheting and plastic action figures can be fun treats too!

7. Conversation Starters: Final idea I’m going to mention print or buy conversation starters. There are many, but one great game called the UnGame is full of fun questions to keep your family talking, laughing, and passing the miles for hours!

Hope you enjoyed these ideas, we would love to hear ideas that you use for family vacations too!

In His Grace,

Jenny